Linkbar

11 Nov 2008

Folksy is a new on-line venue to sell your handmade good. So far it is limited to UK sellers but once they have ironed out the teething problems that all new sites have, I believe it will allow sellers from around the world to join and sell. I've signed up and opened my Pirate Pixie Crew shop to try out the site and see how it grows. I'm hoping that it will end up a long and fruitful arrangement for both me and Folksy. There are already a number of sellers signed up and filling their shops full of gorgeous handmade goodies, so I thought I'd share some with you.

This beautiful sterling silver, citrine and carnelian ring had been made by Ali Bali Jewellery. Her shop is chock full of so many pretty items it was hard to choose which to feature. If you are base in Edinburgh you can see this ladies work in person at many craft fairs in the coming weeks. Check her profile to see where.

Cloud Hopping's shop is very stylish. Working mainly in fabric and yarn, Lin has created a variety of goods that have perfect shapes, textures and colour combinations. This brooch caught my eye because of it's simplicity and perfect combination of textures. Lin obviously has a passion for fibre!

This little cutie super model has a smile that makes your heart melt and she is wearing a pretty top made by Kitschy Coo with grinning skulls that also made me smile. This shop stock is made up of handmade high quality young children's clothing and booties. There are so many colourful items in this shop it's well worth a look!

Linen and Roses is a shop filled with homewares and gifts. These pretty hearts are advertised Christmas decorations but I think they would look lovely hanging all year around on a country kitchen cupboard door handle. All the goods are made by Fiona and she has a very distinctive rustic look to her high quality work. Perfect items to dot around you house to make it feel more homely.

Annica Jewellery made this stunning piece. As this close up shot shows this bracelet is made of Turquoise and sterling silver beads. Turquoise is such a beautiful stone. The celebrity, Libbi Gorr has worn Annica's creations. Annica has also worked with The National Gallery of Australian to create a range of jewellery to compliment one of their exhibitions. Take a look and see her work.

Go along and check out these sellers and the rest of the Folksy site. You're sure to find something you'd love to own and you will be able to buy knowing that each piece you do will be lovingly hand made.

10 Nov 2008

There are now hundreds of thousands of sellers trying to get noticed on the Etsy website and it's really not that easy. What with all the search function problems and the batch listings, it can become quite disheartening when you are starting out. I decided today to pick a few people with 5 or less sales to feature. They all have some gorgeous goods for sale and I think they deserve more sales than they currently have, so even if the item I don't feature doesn't grab you take a look through their shops and see if you can't find a perfect gift for someone you love.

This funky onesie is made by Jpline. Her shop is chock full of beautifully hand crafted baby goods and I really can't understand why she hasn't had any sales. I wish her well in the future, because her goods do truly deserve to be snapped up.

Give someone your heart this Christmas with FeltCreations detailed felt brooch. The stitching in this ladies work is so fine and carefully done. I work with felt and I know how hard it is to make such detailed pieces. Look through her shop and see for yourself.

Don't you just love these Sophista-birds from Katezila?! The monocled dude in the middle looks so pompous, he's divine! They look like they should be in leather wing backed chairs in a gentleman's club all clucking at each other about the youth of today. Fabulous work Katezila!

These stylish little drop earrings are from GMAjewellery and in such a difficultly large category in Etsy of jewellery it's very hard to be seen. I think this lady deserves more views and sales, so go along and check her out. She has got a good eye for colour, balance and shape.

This beautiful wedding dress appears in shanasshoebox. Hers is a shop filled with a variety of goods from clothes to bags, Jewellery to shoes. Take a look around and see all her goodies. This dress is stunning!

The man himself, at work, and this man is Jesse Mosher. His shop has been on Etsy since January and is full of his gorgeous artworks. All the pieces are made from reused or refinished materials and are painted on plywood. He's subjects in the main deal with portraiture and he will take on commission orders. How about a family portrait?

Another person fighting to get seen in the Jewellery section is Rozzie. These berry hoops earrings show her love of textiles silver and beads. Many of her pieces follow this theme. Most of her pieces are one of a kind so you are unlikely to see someone walking toward you wearing the same jewellery as you if you purchase goods from her.

Now all these people I've featured today have shown that there are some great new sellers joining Etsy every day, so take the time to look around and dig out some of the new gems joining up on Etsy to sell.

9 Nov 2008

So Christmas is fast approaching and Jon and I have been trying to work out what to get each other and asking each other what we would like, so I thought I'd blog a list of the fabulous goodies I'd like to receive, that are made by independent artisans. Now I know money is very tight this year so I'm not really expecting to get all or any on this list, but it's fun to wish and dream.

Most of all I'm hankering for a beautiful Psi LED hula hoop. A fabulous gentleman called Patrick in the USA makes them and they truly are the most sparkly gorgeous hoops I ever have seen. I think I'd want a mix of 50%/50% the Eflin and Dragonfly lights and as many lights as Patrick could squeeze into a 95cm diameter hoop. I've borrowed this video from You Tube to show you just how pretty they are!

I'd also love to be the proud owner of Wound Around Jewelry's beautiful silver creation. Made up of silver curls and links this necklace would look fabulous when you are all dressed up with somewhere to go or over a plain T-shirt and Jeans when you were off to the market. I just love it!

I'm a huge lover of vintage and all that vintage represents. I love the idea of beautiful items from the past being given new life to be used again and these cups from uknowuneedanother just appeal to me soooooo much. The colour and the bumpiness of the glass just make me smile. Imagine serving up individual trifles or ice cream sundaes in these... hmmm starting to dribble now... Dribble's not good for my laptop :)

As a lover of all things Pirate, my next choice just had to be from Damselinthisdress. Not only does she make the most beautiful bodices but she makes these gorgeous coats with detachable sleeves. I so wish I could have one made up in with a purple outer and a burn orange lining. Santa are you listening? Hmm... what's that you say? I'm on the naughty list.... Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I've blogged about these next people before and I unashamedly am going mention them again. They make THE most sensational pieces ever! Muju are a British couple from Brighton that pay great attention to detail. To choose just one of their items is very hard but because I had to I went for one of their fabulous Plushies, although to call it a plush some how seems to be wrong. It's a miniature sculpture in felt. A perfect work of art.

For a very long time I have admired the work of Maisy Brown. She makes exquisite reproductions of clothing from days gone by. She has a knack of picking all the right styles that make me go wow! The dress that I have seen of hers that I like most is the Tuxedo ruffled matador in black and white. It has such beautiful clean lines and is such a flattering shape.